Sharon Sources:’The Prime Minister Tends To Bolting Likud & Forming New Party’ Ariel Sharon Apparently Waiting For Last Word From Likud Opponents Before Deciding Outgoing Labor Cabinet Ministers: ‘Our Partnership In Sharon Cabinet Did Good Work’
Internal Politics
QUO VADIS ARIEL SHARON?
Prime Minister Ponders Whether To Carry On In Likud Or Quit & Form New Centrist Party Latest Opinion Poll Indicates New Sharon Party & Labor Would Both Win 28 Knesset Seats Netanyahu Lead Likud Would Plummet To Only 18
ISRAELI ELECTION IN LATE FEBRUARY OR MARCH
Prime Minister Sharon & Labor Party Leader Peretz Agree On Early Election In Late February Or March Likud Rebel: ‘Sharon Seeks Our Democratic Approval In Order To Govern As A Dictator’ Prime Minister Will Reportedly Decide over The Weekend Whether To Continue As Likud Leader Or Form a New Centrist Party
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN SECURITY DEAL
Defense Minister Mofaz: ‘Israel Will Have Control Over Border Crossings And Safe Passage Route Between Gaza & West Bank’ Likud MK Netanyahu: ‘Israel Has Capitulated To U.S. Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice On National Security’ Israeli Mayors Adjacent To West Bank: ‘We Demand Red Dawn Early Warning Systems For Fear Of Qassam Rockets’
THE PERETZ EFFECT
Peretz Sources: ‘New Labor Party Leader Will Not Be Manipulated By Prime Minister Sharon Nor By Labor Has Beens’ ‘Peretz Has Already Launched His General Election Campaign Clashing Head-on With PM Sharon’ Likud Rebels: ‘Likud Must Now Unite & Resolve Sharon-Netanyahu Leadership Feud’
CLINTON & ARAFAT’S COLOSSAL BLUNDER
An Estimated Two-Hundred Thousand Israelis Gather In Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square To Remember Assassinated Prime Minister Former U.S. President Clinton: ‘There Has Not Been A Week I Have Not Thought of Him And Missed Him’ New Labor Party Leader Peretz: ‘I Pledge To Follow In The Path Of Yitzhak Rabin And Return To Oslo And End the Occupation’
LABOR FINALLY STARTS WORKING
New Party Leader Peretz: ‘I Plan On Winning Next Election’ Consultations To Start Next Week On Early Election Date, Possibly In March Sharon Sources: ‘Peretz Is Meretz’ (Far Left Party)
EARLY ELECTION LOOMING IN ISRAEL
Victorious Labor Leader Amir Peretz: ‘I Will Pull Labor Party Immediately Out Of Sharon’s Government’ In Stunning Upset, Union Leader Peretz Defeats Shimon Peres For Labor Party Leadership Shimon Peres Challenges Close Election Result; PM Sharon To Meet Peretz On Sunday
SHARON STARTLES LIKUD
Channel One TV: ‘Sharon Has Decided To Bolt Likud & Lead New Party In Early Election Next April-May’ Likud Rebels: ‘Sharon Trying To Scare Us Into Submission’ Labor Expected To Call On Shimon Peres To Carry On As Party Leader
SHARON REJECTS U.S. PRESSURE OVER HAMAS
PM Sharon: ‘Israel Will Do All It Can To Prevent Hamas Terrorists Participating In Upcoming Palestinian Election’ MK Steinitz: ‘Jerusalem Must Say No To U.S. Secretary Of State Rice’ MK Eitam: ‘It Would Be Like U.S. Negotiating With Al Qaeda’